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The US is awash with pirated content, and the one in three who watch such shows are hugely unconcerned about the damage this may cause, says a new Irdeto survey.

Conducted online by YouGov, the survey from the digital platform security provider found almost three-quarters of US consumers said that producing or sharing pirated video content is illegal and that 69% of respondents think that streaming or downloading pirated content is illegal.

Yet even though most consumers were aware of piracy and able to recognise pirated content, 32% of respondents said they watch it. Moreover, the survey found that when told that pirated video content can result in studios losing money, meaning they cannot invest in creating content, 39% of consumers said that this knowledge has no effect on the amount of pirated video content they want to watch. Even more concerning, said Irdeto, was that only 19% of respondents said that the financial damage caused by piracy would stop them from watching pirated content altogether.

“The negative impact that piracy has on the content creation industry extends much further than lost revenue,” said Irdeto VP of business development and sales Lawrence Low. “Piracy deters content creators from investing in new content, impacting the creative process and providing consumers with less choice. It is becoming increasingly important for operators and movie studios to educate consumers on the tactics employed by pirates and to further promote innovative offerings that allow consumers to legally acquire content.”

Looking at what specific content was being pirated, the survey found an even split between films and TV shows, with nearly a quarter of consumers who watch pirated content most interested in watching TV series and an additional 24% of respondents most interested in pirated films currently showing in theatres. The survey also found that consumers are interested in pirating DVD and Blu-ray movies (18%), live sports (10%) and over-the-top (OTT) original content from Netflix, Hulu, iTunes and others (9%).